A/V Product Reviews
Audioholics writes some of the industry's most thorough AV product reviews. Our reviews stand apart from the competition in that we do comprehensive objective measurements and analysis including taking the products apart to describe their operation from soup to nuts. Get the real skinny on how AV receivers, amplifiers and loudspeakers perform from our unbiased reviews.
Loudspeaker Reviews
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- Tower Speakers
- Computer & Portable
- Sound Bar & Satellites
- Subwoofers
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Amplification Reviews
Home Theater Accessory Reviews
Display Device Reviews
Source Devices & Gadget Reviews
Music & Movie Reviews
Recent Reviews
Recent Previews
Hsu Research VTF‑TN1 15" Subwoofer: Deeper Bass, Lower Cost!
Hsu replaces their top dog 15” ported subwoofer with the higher performing, lower cost VTF-TN1 flagship bruiser. Read our preview to see how this modern miracle was achieved for only $1,200!
Sonus faber Duetto Powered Wireless Speaker Review
The Sonus faber Duetto are an impressive pair of active bookshelf speakers. At 4K/pair they deliver truly amazing sound but the prototypes I reviewed were buggy.
The REL T/9x Red Subwoofer: Beyond the Black Box
Rel's T/9x Red Subwoofer($1,650) adds Italian racing red paint and a souped-up driver. The pure carbon fiber center cap reduces weight and adds stiffness to the 10-inch driver. Read on to learn more.
Anthem AVM 90 15.4CH Preamp Processor Review
The AVM 90 8K is the first worthy successor to Anthem's D2v. Objectively and subjectively it's Anthem’s best-sounding preamp processor—EVER. Possibly the apex predator of 15.4CH pre-pros under $8,000.
Focal’s Aria Evo X Loudspeakers: Overview & First Listen
Focal’s new Aria Evo X loudspeakers include five models: N°1, N°2, N°3, N°4, and a center channel. Our demo at FAE 2024 reveled them to have near Kanta level performance at about half the price.
Kanto ORA Powered Desktop Speakers & sub8 Review
Kanto’s new ORA powered desktop speakers push their technology further than ever by introducing an active crossover and other innovations. What does this do to the sound? Read on to find out.
The KEF KC92 Subwoofer: 11Hz Deep Bass, Small Box!
KEF’s new KC92 Subwoofer ($2,000) uses a pair of force-cancelling 9-inch drivers and 1,000 watts RMS of specially-designed Class D amplification to deliver bass down to 11Hz! Read on to learn more.
HECO Aurora 300 Bookshelf Loudspeaker Review
The Heco Aurora 300 bookshelves produced a nicely balanced sound that is uncommon for a loudspeaker of its price range. How did they do it and how do they compare to more expensive speakers? Read on.
ZapperBox Helps You Ditch Cable With Their M1 Over The Air DVR
Looking to cut the cord to cable? ZapperBox's new M1 ($250) over the air DVR may help. The M1 promises 4K video, Dolby Atmos and Dolby AC-4 sound, is HDR video compatible AND has NO monthly fees.
Parts Express Orian 3‑Way High Output Bookshelf Speaker Kit Review
The Orian 3-way bookshelf speaker is a high-output, coaxial design with a dipole midrange and an 8” bass driver, for only $675/pair. How can it be priced so low? You have to assemble it yourself!
Adcom Stages Comeback With Updated Classic Amps
Adcom is relaunching in the USA and is now making “updated and modernized versions” of its classic audio hifi products, including the legendary GFA-555 stereo power amplifier.
Monoprice SW‑15 15in 600 watt Subwoofer Review
The Monoprice SW-15 subwoofer is spec’d with a 15” driver and a 600-watt amp yet only costs $300 shipped. How can a sub with such beefy specs sell for so little? Read our full review to find out.
Marantz Cinema 30 is the SR8015 Receiver Replacement We’ve Been Waiting For
The new Cinema 30 AVR ($4,500) sits at the top of Marantz’s 8K AV receiver lineup. It offers 11 channels of amplification, 13.4CH of processing, ESS Sabre DACs, Dirac Live Bass Control, and 4 sub outs.
MartinLogan XT F100 Floorstanding Speaker Review
MartinLogan's XT F100 Floorstanding Speakers recently underwent a significant upgrade featuring a new waveguide and revamped drivers. Did the additions pass our rigid tests? Read on to find out.
Yamaha R‑N1000A Network Receiver Bench Test Results
The Yamaha R-N1000A is a 2CH Network AV receiver rated at 100 watts/ch and has features most stereo receivers don’t. Our bench test report determines if it lives up to their prestigious Top-Art reputation.
Cambridge Audio MXN10 and DacMagic 200M Review
The Cambridge Audio MXN10 network streamer ($499) and DacMagic 200M DAC ($549) offer excellent sound, high build quality, and easy usability in a compact form factor for a wide variety of systems.
LG's Transparent OLED TV Is Here, And It’s Awesome!
The LG Signature OLED T will be the first transparent OLED TV to market when it launches late in 2024. A black “contrast screen” rises behind the transparent panel for viewing regular content.
RTJ Audio 18Sub Subwoofer Review
The RTJ Audio 18Sub features the ultimate 18” bass driver, giving users the highest performance per footprint of any sub on the market and making it Ideal for baffle wall subwoofer systems installations.
TCL Shows Massive 115‑Inch QD Mini LED TV at CES 2024
TCL has announced the world’s largest QD Mini LED TV. The 115-inch 115QM89 boasts 20,000 local dimming zones and 5,000 nits of peak brightness. The enormous TV will ship this summer and sell for less.
RBH Sound 61/AX Active Monitor Speaker Review
The RBH Sound 61/AX is a fully active 2-way bookshelf speaker system that employs SOTA DSP with active crossovers and 400 watts of built in amplification for pristine, dynamic sound quality we review.
SVS New Flagship Speaker Line Ultra Evolution Series Tech Overview
SVS announced a new flagship speaker series called Ultra Evolution that advances their loudspeaker design by a giant leap. With time-alignment and force-cancelling woofers, it looks more like a revolution.
Monolith Audition T5 Floor‑Standing Speaker Review
Monoprice’s Audition T5 speakers are floorstanders for the audiophile on a tight budget, but trade-offs must be made to achieve their $500/pr pricing. On sale at $230/pr, ignore the trade offs and buy them!
The ATC C4 Sub Mk 2: New Driver, New Amp, New Sound?
ATC’s new C4 Sub Mk 2 active subwoofer system ($5,999) boasts 116dB max SPL. The C4 Sub Mk 2 promises studio-quality bass thanks to a new 12-inch driver and 300-watt Class AB amp. Read on.
Arendal Sound 1723 Subwoofer 2S Review
The Arendal Sound 1723 Subwoofer 2S stuffs two heavy-duty 13.8” drivers and a 1,200-watt RMS amp into a reasonable enclosure. This might be the sweet spot for size to performance of ALL subs we’ve reviewed!
Tannoy Bounces Back with New Super Gold Monitor Series
Tannoy announced 3 new speakers. The SGM 10 (£5,995/pair), SGM 12 (£6,995/pair), and SGM 15 (£8,495/pair) are available now in the UK. All three models feature dual concentric drivers. Read on.
Focal Vestia No.3 Floor‑Standing Speaker Review
Focal’s Vestia No.3 is a 3-way tower speaker that packs a lot of punch without costing a fortune despite being manufactured in France. Read our review to see if they live up to Focal’s high fidelity standards.
McIntosh’s PS2K Monster $50K Subwoofer Is Absurd!
McIntosh’s new PS2K Powered Subwoofer ($50,000/ea) is an absolute monster standing over 6.5 feet tall, and weighing 458lbs. The PS2K sub contains four 13-inch woofers, and 2kwatts of total power.
Dayton Audio SUB‑1500 Subwoofer Review ‑ Dual 15s for $500?!?
Dayton Audio’s SUB-1500 is one of the most affordable 15” powered subwoofers on the market at $260/ea. How would dual SUB-1500s stack up against the best $500 subs? Read our review to find out.
Sonus faber Duetto Speakers Use Ultra Wide Band Wireless Tech
The Sonus Faber Duetto ($3,999/pair) is an active streaming speaker system using Ultra Wide Band technology to maintain a high-quality, uncompressed audio signal between the two speakers. Read on.
Definitive Technology Dymension DM70 Tower & DM20 Center Speakers Review
Definitive Technology’s new Dymension series brings BIG improvements from the DM70 bipolar tower to the DM20 Center channel. Read our review for our listening impressions and full measurement report.
Arcam A25 Integrated Amplifier Bench Test Results
The Arcam Radia A25 is a 100 watt/ch slimline stereo integrated amplifier featuring high resolution DACs, excellent noise and distortion performance on our test bench and blends into any room décor.
Klipsch Reference RP‑1600SW 16" Subwoofer Review
The Klipsch Reference RP-1600S is a monstrous sized ported sub with a 16” woofer and a 800-watt amplifier. Our review tests how powerful this sub is from one the most popular speaker brands in the world.
Anthem 5.1CH MRX SLM AV Receiver Fits Behind Your Television
Anthem’s new MRX SLM ($1,299) takes the “small size, big sound” concept to extremes. This remarkably slim AVR solution promises to bring Anthem’s superb audio performance while fitting behind your display.
Arendal Sound Hits a Home Run ‑ 1961 Monitor Loudspeaker Review
We review the Arendal Sound 1961 Monitor, featuring an MTM & waveguide design built with similar DNA to their venerable 1723 series but in a more compact affordable package at $1,100/pair. Home run!
JVC DLA‑NZ8 8K Laser Projector Preview ‑ Price/Performance Champ?
JVC's DLA-NZ8 (RS3100) may be the perfect projector with a BLU-escent laser, e-shiftX for 8K images, the latest HDR10/HDR10+, frame adapt HDR Gen2, and JVC's industry leading tone mapping and blacks.
RSL Speedwoofer 12S Subwoofer Review ‑ True 16Hz Extension!
The RSL Speedwoofer 12S builds on the venerable 10S MK2 but with a larger 12” driver and enclosure with 16Hz extension for only $800. We reviewed the 12S to see if RSL has a class leader subwoofer again.
Onkyo TX‑SR3100 5.2CH 8K Atmos Receiver For $400!?!
Onkyo's new TX-SR3100 is a 5.2CH home theater receiver that includes Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, 80 W/CH and all the latest 8K video features for under $400! But, does it really give you true Atmos experience?
Philharmonic BMR HT Tower Speaker Review
We reviewed the Philharmonic Audio’s BMR HT Tower to verify if it bring their extreme high-fidelity sound to a wider dynamic range that is more appropriate for heavy-duty home theater applications.
The Marantz Stereo 70s: A 2CH HiFi AV Receiver?
The new Marantz Stereo 70s ($1,000) is a 2-channel receiver with 8K HDMI connectivity, 75 wpc, and uses Marantz’s HDAM preamp modules. How does it compare to similar Marantz Cinema products? Read on.
Starke Sound IC‑H1 Elite Standmount Loudspeaker Review
Starke Sound has always been known for their engineering and build quality. Read our review of their IC-H1 Elite Stand mount speakers to find out what in company parts and engineering means to you.
Bang and Olufsen Cisco Release Security Enhanced 950 Wireless Earbuds
Bang & Olufsen and Cisco released the 950 IEM, an IT security enhanced wireless earbud with tools for managing and viewing real-time analytics from a single platform while providing secure connections.
PSB Synchrony B600 Bookshelf Speaker Review
From PSB's Flagship line, Synchrony, we'll be reviewing the PSB Synchrony B600. PSB is known for reliable high end speakers, but will this translate to a $2,800/pair of bookshelves? Read on.
Arylic B50 Amplifier Turns Your Bookshelf Speakers Into a Streaming Machine
The $139 Arylic Audio's new B50 Wireless Amplifier pushes 50 watts x 2, has a sub and phono out, HDMI ARC and is an easy way to turn a pair of passive speakers into a streaming powerhouse!
Monoprice Monolith MTM‑100 Powered Desktop Speaker Review
The Monolith MTM-100 is a $500 high-powered desktop speaker that features a built in 100watt amp, a 1.25” tweeter, two 4” midwoofers, and two 5.25” passive radiators. BIG sound for your desktop on the cheap?
Marantz MODEL 50 Integrated Amplifier & CD 50n Streaming HDMI CD Player!
The Marantz MODEL 50 integrated amplifier and CD 50n streaming HDMI CD player ($1,800/ea) boast audiophile componentry, low impedance power drive, and unmatched digital source connectivity options.
RTJ 410 and RTJ18 Modular Sub/Sat Speaker System Review
Recently, we got a demonstration of the RTJ 410 and RT18Sub Massive modular speaker system at the Audioholics Smart Home. We give our listening impressions and compare to our reference RBH SVTRS system.
Kaleidescape Releases Bigger and Faster Terra Prime Movie Servers
Kaleidescape, the premier digital media server for the best 4K and Dolby Atmos source playback, released Terra Prime series with SSD drives making it possible to download 4K content in 4 minutes!
MonAcoustic SuperMon Isobaric Bookshelf Speaker Review
At $25k/pair, the SuperMon Isobarics bookshelf speakers from Mon Acoustic are not cheap, but they use the best construction materials money can buy. Does this add up to an amazing sounding speaker?
Paradigm Celebrates 41 ‑ New Founder Series Premium Finishes & Power Amplifier
Paradigm came to CEDIA 2023 with everything from new premium finishes to the brand’s respected Founder Series speakers to the new SVX-1202 Power Amplifier and the updated Decor Series v2 Soundbars.
Arendal Sound 1723 1S & 1V Powered Subwoofers Review
Arendal offers their 13.8” drivers and advanced 800-watt amplifiers in both sealed and vented designs in their 1723 1S and 1V subwoofers. How did they measure up to our performance standards? Read on.
Theory Audio Design Debuts Weatherproof Loudspeaker & New Architectural Subwoofers
Theory Audio released a new all-weather speaker, the sb25aw which is a revised version of their sb25. Also released are 2 in-wall Subs, the iws12-6 and iws12-9 with reported 124dB SPL output at 1m!
Marantz SACD 30n Network SACD Player Review
The Marantz SACD 30n is a networking SACD player capable of delivering high-resolution playback performance of SACD and CDs while also serving as a networking streamer with USB DAC function.
Revel Expands PerformaBe Loudspeakers With In‑Wall Architectural Series
We got a chance to see the new Revel PerformaBe Architectural line of speakers at CEDIA 2023. The lineup includes three in-wall models, (W126Be, W226Be, W228Be) and one in-ceiling (C128Be). Read on.
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower Speaker Review
The Arendal 1961s tower loudspeakers are first-rate by any standard and all the more remarkable when one takes into account their reasonable $1,800/pair price and modest size. Read our review.
Sony’s MDR‑MV1: An Open Back Headphone Reference for Audio Professionals
Sony’s MDR-MV1 ($400) is an open-back headphone that promises both accurate spatial sound field reproduction and all-day comfort. Read on to find out why these have become a reference for professionals.
Polk Audio HTS 12 Ported Subwoofer Review
The Polk HTS 12 is a 12” ported subwoofer with some innovative tech that allows it to produce clean, tight bass at a retail price of $549 that bellies its specs. Read our review.
Definitive Technology CI Dymension Architectural Speakers Reveal!
Definitive Technology has released their CI series of architectural speakers at CEDIA 2023. The series is comprised of 5 CI PRO, and 7 CI MAX models. We interview Phil Jones to get the inner details.
Klipsch Reference R‑121SW 12" Ported Subwoofer Review
The Klipsch R-121SW is a tremendously popular ported 12" subwoofer from the very popular loudspeaker manufacturer, but what are buyers really getting for its cost? Read our review.
Denon’s New Entry‑Level 8K AV Receivers Are Ready for the Future!
Denon’s affordable new 8K-capable AV receivers; the 7.2CH AVR-S770H ($649) and the 5.2CH AVR-S670H ($549) offer 6 HDMI inputs and enough power for small-to-medium living-rooms and are ready for the future.